Question

【題目】Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

Minimum wage laws in the U.S. were first introduced during the 1930s in response to the Great Depression. This period was 【1】 by falling output, falling prices, and falling employment. The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) of 1933 attempted to stop this downward trend by encouraging the 【2】 of trade association agreements that established the lowest price and minimum wages. This was the first time that minimum wages were introduced in major industries. But in 1935, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the NIRA was unlawful, and these initial minimum wage agreements came to an end.

In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) established a national minimum wage of $0.25 an hour. This Act 【3】 only applied to a relatively small share of the labor force, but has been 【4】 over time so that it now applies to about 90% of all nonsupervisory workers.

Introductory economies textbooks usually first introduce the minimum wage as an application of demand and supply analysis. This starting discussion is usually based on the following 【5】: the labor market is perfectly competitive, the minimum wage covers all workers, and worker productivity is 【6】 by the wage rate.

While minimum wage increases generally receive 【7】 public support, economists have generally argued that such laws will result in an increase in the unemployment rate in low-wage labor markets.

An issue related to that of a minimum wage is a growing movement for a “l(fā)iving wage”.Living wage proposals suggest that the 【8】 minimum wage is too low to allow families to be above the poverty level. Now, 【9】 of this view support “l(fā)iving wage laws” that require the local government to only accept contracts from firms that pay their workers a wage that is high enough to 【10】 the worker above the poverty line. Under Baltimore’s “l(fā)iving wage” requirement, firms must pay a worker an hourly wage that will allow a full-time worker to receive an annual income greater than or equal to the poverty level for a family of three.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】H

【2】A

【3】B

【4】J

【5】E

【6】F

【7】I

【8】K

【9】D

【10】C

【解析】

本文是一篇說明文，主要介紹了美國最低工資法案形成和修改完善的相關知識。

【1】考查形容詞短語。句意：這一時期的特點是產(chǎn)量下降，價格下降跌和失業(yè)率下滑。根據(jù)“alling output, falling prices, and falling employment.”可知，形容詞短語be characterized by意為“以…為特征”，該結(jié)構(gòu)在句中充當謂語，說明主語的特點。故選H項。

【2】考查名詞。句意：在1933年，NIRA嘗試通過鼓勵形成行業(yè)貿(mào)易協(xié)定的方法來阻止這種下滑趨勢，這些行業(yè)協(xié)議設立了最低價格和最低工資的。encourage后接名詞作賓語，根據(jù)句意，formation“形成”符合句意。故選A項。

【3】考查副詞。句意：這一法案最初只適用于相對較小的勞動力市場。根據(jù)“all nonsupervisory workers.”可知，空處填副詞initially“最初，原始地” 修飾謂語動詞。故選B項。

【4】考查語態(tài)。句意：這一法案最初只適用于相對較小的勞動力市場，但多年以來這一法案已經(jīng)被修改了，以便于現(xiàn)在能應用于百分之90的無監(jiān)管的勞動力市場。根據(jù)“only applied to a relatively small share of the labor force, but”可知，空處應選revised。本句主語the act與動詞revise構(gòu)成被動關系，應該使用被動語態(tài)。故選選J項。

【5】考查名詞。句意：這一討論通常根據(jù)下面的設想：勞動力市場競爭激烈，最低工資覆蓋了所有的工人，工人的生產(chǎn)效率不受工資率的影響。be based on后接名詞作賓語。根據(jù)“the labor market is perfectly competitive, the minimum wage covers all workers,”可知，空處填名詞assumption。故選E項。

【6】考查語態(tài)。句意：這一討論通常根據(jù)下面的設想：勞動力市場競爭激烈，最低工資覆蓋了所有的工人，工人的生產(chǎn)效率不受工資率的影響。本句主語worker productivity與unaffect構(gòu)成被動關系，要用過去分詞unaffected表示被動語態(tài)。且符合句意。故選F項。

【7】考查形容詞。句意：盡管增加最低工資得到了廣泛的支持，但是經(jīng)濟學家認為這種行為在低工資的勞動力市場上會導致失業(yè)率增加。根據(jù)“minimum”可知，句中應該使用形容詞enormous做定語修飾不可數(shù)名詞pubic support。故選I項。

【8】考查形容詞。句意：生活工資的提議說明現(xiàn)存最低工資的太低了無法讓家庭處于貧困線以上。在英語中通常使用形容詞做定語修飾名詞，句中形容詞existing意為“現(xiàn)存的”，修飾minimum wage。符合句意。故選K項。

【9】考查名詞復數(shù)形式。句意：這一觀點的倡議者支持“生活工資法案”。句中謂語動詞support前面是主語，根據(jù)句意可知應該指“這一觀點的倡議者們”，故選D項。

【10】考查動詞。句意：公司要支付工人高工資，這些工資足以讓他們生活在貧困線以上。be enough to do sth, 根據(jù)“high enough，above the poverty line”可知，空處填動詞原形place意為“使…處于…位置”。故選C項。